Can't Let It Go // A Very Piano sort of Synthpop

[~cliffwalk]

Hey Folks,

I'd love to hear some feedback on this tune, especially on its style. I wanted to write a tune where I was driving the majority of it with Piano (well a Piano SOUND). Also I wanted to see what I could do as far as get sort of a seventiesish sort of feel to the vocals.

The song is called "Can't let it go"

http://www.ampcast.com/cliffwalk

I would say that the production of this tune is destined for more tweaking but I'd love to hear what you think about it stylistically. Is this a style that you'd like to hear more of or do you think the piano driven notion is rather boring?

Also, the Vocals.... I got sorta goofy with how I treated them with the effects. Hard or easy on the ears? I need a week or two away from it before I personally decide ;)

Thanks,

Dave

[~arronc]

Hi dave :

Always good to run into you. The piano is quite nice, but if your going to slur the timing, you might have to loosen up the drum programming and use a groove template or similar, especially at the end.

The vocals sound really badly broken. I dont think its the effects, it hink that you are singing too loud to close the microphone.

If i was doing it (i only sing quitly though !) I would either :

1) Use a condensor with the low pass pad droped out at 1.5 m distance.

2) Use a dynamic at 45 degrees, and 1m distance.

UNfortunately, if you like me, and dont have good room acoustics, learn to control you voice at lower singing levels, and get closer to the mike again.

3) If the operatic thing is really what you are trying to achieve, try to find a PZM or electret microphone, and clean up your room acoustics.

It sounds like you are a great singer, but are not used to vocal recording or microphone handling.

Ive heard this mistake before with trying to record a operatic singer : A microphone is only linear to a specified sound pressure, and then it start to sound like what you have on all you recordings(on ampcast). Which is a shame, because it slightly spoils some lovely, and very original music.

ANyway keep up the good work !

[~chriswdc]

Dave, it is a pleasant, laid-back sort of feel..musically, it is probably the best I have heard from you so far...at least it appealed to me. The vocal effect is a bit distracting though.

[~cliffwalk]

Thanks guys!

Actually, this is exactly the feedback I'm looking for. After I did the final mixdown I had tired ears but had the same feeling about the vocals.

Any assumptions made about my voice are correct. And then some. I'm basically trying to find a happy medium. I'm closer than I was and have discovered some cool things in the process but as far as getting good vocal takes "on my own" I still have a lot to learn.

The spin around on this is that for my CD I'm actually taking my instrumental tracks and bringing them into a studio and having an engineer record the vocals for me. I just want to learn as much as I can about what I can get done before I take them in which wont be for a while yet.

It's hard to "roll your own" but if anything it's a great learning experience. Thanks for the feedback folks, it's really helpful!

Dave